Operating mechanism for washing-machines.



G. N. MEVES.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION TILED AUG. 2, 1909.

' 962,158. Patented June 21,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mam: 'l

'rrnr lcnsrnvn. MEVES, or navnnron'r, IOWA.-

OPERA'II N'G MECHANISM FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

' Application filed August 2, 1909. Serial No. 510,780.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUSTAV l. Mnvns, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism forWashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and. to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

. This invention relates to an improvement in mechanism for operatingwashing machines wherein the beater within the tub or receptacle isgiven a rotary reciprocating motion, and more particularly to a highspeed mechanism operating through a flywheel to diminish the work of theoperator I after the parts have been started in motion.

The invention consists in the matters here:

inafter set' forth and more particularly pointed out in theappendedclanns.

In the drawings illustrating the invention: Figure l is-a view invertical cross section of ti -washing. machine embodying my invention.Fig. 2 1s a plan View of thesame; "Fig. 3 is ahorizonta lcross-sectional view taken upon line 3 3 of Fig. 1. 4 is a detailsectional view taken upon line of Fig. 2.. Fig. 5 is a detailcrosssectional view taken upon line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is afragmentary detail view of parts relating to this invention.

In the drawings, 5 designates a washing machine tub of the usual formmounted upon supporting legs 6, 6 and provided with a hinged lid 7.Located centrally of said lid is a. base-plate 8 provided with avertically arranged bearing 9 which extends downwardly through the lidand in which is rotatably supported an operating shaft 10. Said shaftdepends into the tub 5 and has therein secured to it an agitator 11 of'any usual form. Upon the upper end of tl'ieI'o'pcrating shaft-10 ismounted an operating gear 12 which meshes with a segn'iental'gear l3.ttaulseguiental gear 13 is pivotally supported upon a horizontallyarranged stubshaft 14 carried at the'upper end of a three arm bracket14* formed upon and rising from the base plate 8. A socket 15 is formedupon the hub of the segmental gear 13 to receive an actuatin lever 16.

Secu'red'to the edge of the tub 5 is an an- Fig.

gular supportingbracket,20 upon which is formed a gear casin 21supporting a bevel gear 22. Said bevel gear '22 is operativelyconnected. by a pitman 23 withthe segmental gear 13 and is 1n mesh witha bevel gear 24 located in said casing 21, and mounted upon the upperend of a vertically arranged shaft 25 which is operatively connectedwith a fly-wheel in the manner hereinafter described. As shown in Fig.5, the pitman 23 is provided with a downwardly opening notch 23 whichengages an outwardly extending stud 26 secured to the segmental gear 13.

27 indicates a washer interposed between the outer endof the stud 26 andthe adjacent face of the pitman 23, said washer being held in place by acotter pin 28 extending through said stud. Said pitman is held in placewhile in operation by a weight 29 which is swingingly supported upon thesegmental gearv 13 and is adapted to bear upon the up er edge ofsaidpitman nearthe inner endt ereof. For disconnecting the pitman toopenthe lid of the tub the weight 29 isswung upon its pivot and the innerend of said pitman is lifted. from the stub 26 and swung. outwardly. Atits outer end said pitman is curved upwardly to clear the tub while inoperation.

As shown in the drawings (Figs. 1 and 3) there are mounted upon the:supporting legs 0, 6- below the tub 5 two cross-bars 30, 30 which crosseach other in the vertical axis of the tub. Mounted'upon said cross-barsand extending outwardly therefrom is a base-plate 31 provided on itsouter end'with an upwardly opening recess 32 adapted to receive androtatably support the lower end of the'vertically arranged shaft 25.Upon.

upper end with a cone 36.,whichrides upon lnill' hearings'37, 37 carriedin a-cup .38 serured'to the central portion of the tub bottom. .39indicates a horizontally. arranged ball bearings-34, 34 is provided nearits flywheel mountedupon said stub shaft 35.

" A pinion 40 on the hub of the fly wheel nieshe with a gear 41 which inturnmesglies with a gear 42 mounted uponthe lower end of the verticallyvarranged shaft 25. The

f gear 41 is mounted upon a'vertically arranged stub shaft supportednear the central portion of the base plate 31. The

gear 42 projects beyond the edge of the tub 5 and is preferablyinclosed'in a casing 46 secured to the side of'the tub and the end ofthe base plate 31.

In the operation of the machine/the rocking motion of the hand lever 16is translated into rotaryreciprocating motion of the agitator 11 throughthe segmental gear 13 and the gear 12 and into continuous rotary motionof the fiy-wheel 39, by means of the pitman 23, the bevel gears 22, 2e,the-shaft 25, the gears 41 and 42, and the'pinion 40 on the hub of saidfly-wheel. The proportions of the gears through which the rotary motionis given to the fly-wheel 39 are such that said fly-wheel will be drivenat a high rate of speed and the momentum thereof serves to absorbthe;shock of the reversals of the operating lever 16 and to insure thefree and easy operation of the agitator. Moreover, said fly-wheel beingmounted in ball bearin s will require but little power to start andmaintain the same at its running speed.

I claim as my invention 1. Operating mechanism for washin mation'with abody, an operating shaft, a bevel gear secured to said operating shaft,a segmental gear in mesh with said bevel gear,

a rocking hand. lever secured to said segmental gear, a horizontallyarranged fly-' wheel located beneath said body, a vertically arrangeddriving shaft mounted at one side of said body, a ear mounted upon theuper end of said riving shaft, a second gear i in mesh with said firstnamed gear, a pitman connecting said second gear with said segmentalgear, and gears connectlng the lower end of said driving shaft with thefly-wheel.

3. Operating mechanism for washing machines and the like comprising incombination with a body, an operating shaft, an o erating gear securedto said operating sha t,

a segmental gear in mesh with said operating'gear, a rocking hand leverattached to said segmental gear, a horizontally arranged fly-wheellocated beneath said body, a pinion formed'on the hub of said fly-wheel,a vertically arranged driving shaft, a gear upon the upper end of saiddriving shaft, a second gear in mesh with the said first named gear, apitman connecting said second gear ported, on said stub-shaft andengaging said 7 operating gear, a rocking hand-lever attached to saidsegmental gear, an angular bracket secured to the edge of the washingmachine body, a gear casing, a gear journaled in said casing with itsaxis parallel to the axis of said segmental gear, a' pitman connectingsaid gear with said segmental gear, a second gear locatedin said casingand meshing with the first named saidcasing, a vertically arranged rivinshaft upon the upper end of WlllCh the sai second gear in said casing iskeyed, a second base plate located beneath said body, a bearing cup uponthe outer end of sald second ear in' base plate in which the lower endof tl;e

vertical driving shaft bears, a drivin'ggear upon-the lower end of saiddriving shaft, a gear casing inclosing said driving gear, a horizontallyarranged fly-wheel located beneath said supporting body, a pinion formedupon thehub of the fly-wheel, a gear. wheel supported upon said secondnamed base plate and engaging said pinion and said driving gear upon thelower end of the vertically arranged driving shaft, avertically arrangedshaft upon which said fly-wheel is carried, ball bearings for the lowerend of said fly-wheel shaft carried upon the inner end of said secondbase plate, and ball bearings for the upper en of said fly-wheel shaftsupported-upon the lower central portion of said supporting body.

5. The combination of an operating shaft capable ofrotary reciprocatingmotion, an operating gear thereon, a rocking segmental gear in mesh withsaid operating gear, an outwardly extending stud on said se mental gear,a fiy-wheel, a driving shaft .or said flywheel, gearing intermedlatesaid driving shaft and said fly wheel adapted to continuously rotatesaid fly wheel, a gear keyed to said driving shaft, a driving gearmeshing with said drivin shaft ear, a pitman connected at one end to saidriving gear, said pitman being curved upwardly 'at its outer end andprovided at its inner endfwith a downwardly opening notch engaging saidoutwardly extending stud on the se mental gear, and a swinginglysupported welght attached to said segmental gear and adapted to engagesaid pitman to hold same in place during the operation thereof.

6. The combination of an operating shaft capable of rotary reciprocatingmotlon, an operating gear thereon, a rocking segmental gear in mesh withsaid operating gear, an outwardly extending stud on said segmental gear,a fiy-wheel, a driving shaft for said flywheel, gearing intermediatesaid driving shaft and said fly Wheel adapted to continuously rotatesaid fiy wheel, a gear keyed to said driving shaft, a driving gearmeshing with said driving shaft gear, a pitman connected at one end tosaid driving gear, said pitman bein provided on its inner end with Intestimony that I, G. N. Mnvns, claim the foregoing as my invention 1afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this twenty thirdday of July-A. D. 1909.

GUSTAV N. MEVES.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. BROWN, GEO. R. BIRCHARD.

